Milling executive training offered

MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. — Those in flour mill management who would like a better understanding of the milling process may want to attend the Buhler-KSU Executive Milling short course Nov. 7-11. The course will be held at the Kansas State University (KSU) International Grains Program (IGP) Conference Center and Hal Ross Flour Mill.

According to Chris Miller, course coordinator and KSU instructor of milling, the course is specifically designed for those who own, direct or manage a flour mill, but do not have a practical milling background.

“After completing the course, participants will better understand the milling process and its steps — all the way from raw material and the impact of wheat characteristics on yield and mill performance to cleaning, product safety, quality control and finished product handling,” he said. “This course can be particularly helpful because it not only gives greater insight into the milling process, but it also gives management a better understanding of the challenges that operative millers face on a daily basis.”

The course will be co-taught by Miller and Tobias Nanny, the manager of the Buhler Training Center in Uzwil, Switzerland, and it will include both classroom lectures and practical, hands-on exercises in the Hal Ross Flour Mill.

According to Mark Kolkhorst, ADM milling division president and one of last year’s course participants, this part of the course is beneficial.

“The combination of learning what a piece of equipment does and then actually going out and seeing it in action in the mill is really compelling for this course,” he said.

Before the course, Kolkhorst was familiar with milling through the mill tours he has taken in his 25-year tenure with ADM. However, he decided to attend the short course so that he could better understand what he saw happening in the mill.

“I’ve been through a lot of our mills and seen a lot of the process, but I wanted to get a better understanding of what happens in the mill,” Kolkhorst said.

Those who are interested in experiencing this course firsthand or simply want more information about training opportunities at IGP should visit the IGP website at: www.grains.k-state.edu/igp.